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Analysis: J.J. Abrams Good Fit For 'Star Wars'

It's true. If you look at the way he handled the redo of that other revered space series, it might provide some clues as to what his "Star Wars" might look like. Abrams clearly aimed to please the broadest possible audience by remaining faithful to the "Star Trek" mythology in some ways while shaking it up in others; the film made nearly $386 million worldwide and the follow-up, the 3-D "Star Trek Into Darkness," is due out May 17. Some fans were thrilled that he would boldly go to such daring places while some purists balked at the vast departures he took. And that might be true of the response "Episode VII" will get in 2015, when it's scheduled to come out; people tend to get proprietary when they're so emotionally invested in the stories like this.

Abrams' "Super 8" from 2011 is another great example of his grasp of, and reverence for, the wonder that can accompany the best science fiction experiences. His homage to late-'70s, early-'80s Steven Spielberg productions is full of childhood innocence and the excitement of storytelling. And as he demonstrated with these films as well as his contribution to another beloved franchise, 2006's "Mission: Impossible III," the man knows how to direct an action sequence. He also happened to work with Lucas' Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound on post-production on all the films he's directed, so a comfort level already exists from an effects perspective.

He's a busy guy these days, though. Between steering these two massive franchises, he also has many other projects in the works through his production company, Bad Robot. Among them: a recently announced biopic of disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong, a possible "Cloverfield" sequel and the post-apocalyptic television series "Revolution." As talented and visionary as he is, who knows how good of a juggler he'll be?

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